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cobaltbookshelf's review
3.0
Sure, there are things that are part of their time in here, but I can see why this beloved classic.
cleheny's review
4.0
I started reading Perez' run when it first came out and collected many, but not all, of the issues in this volume. The artwork is detailed and beautiful. Perez's conceptualization of Themiscyra, the Amazons, and the Olympians is thoughtful and fully realized. His use of Greek mythology as primary antagonists is terrific, whether its the Ares arc that starts the run, the challenge of the gods, or Circe and her disciples. The secondary characters in "Patriarch's World," are often well-done, the Julia and Vanessa, in particular. I like Steve Trevor and Etta Candy, but they don't figure as much in the narrative as they might be expected to (particularly with all the references to Diana's great bond with Steve).
Diana's characterization is very well-done. She is young, naïve, and idealistic, but not foolish. She understands that she needs guidance to function in "Man's World." Sometimes, she gets it wrong, but she's able to accept and learn from those situations. Her compassion and empathy are her greatest strengths. The stories in this volume include plenty of fights, but there is also great character development and exploration of themes such as the nature of faith, the pain of trauma and power of forgiveness, the importance of repentance, and the power of strong, loving relationships, of which only one is romantic.
Perez spends time with the supporting cast. I think the strongest work in that area is in the depiction of 14 yo Vanessa's world. She's clearly a kid who was never popular with the in-crowd, but, like most teenagers, really wants to fit in and be popular. Her relationship with Diana gives her fame that, of course, garners attention from the kids in the popular crowd. She's not a bad kid, but she's often self-absorbed and thoughtless regarding the feelings of her old friend who isn't included in the "cool" crowd.
Even characters that are more stereotypical, such as Myndi Mayer, get fleshed out. Myndi, who appears the soul of shallow commercialism, is revealed to be a more loving and compassionate character than portrayed in most of her appearances. To Perez' credit, the reveal doesn't re-write the character or strain credulity; it just reveals some depths that Diana would not have ordinarily seen.
Overall, Perez does a good job of respecting the women and Amazonian society. But there are a few moments in this volume that hit with a thud.
Then, eons later, when Hercules has repented of his crime, Hippolyta forgives him. That part is fine--there are people who, as part of their own healing, forgive those who harmed them. But then she expresses sexual interest in him, which is gross. I don't know why Perez went in this direction; most charitably, he was trying to show a Hippolyta who had fully healed from her trauma and moved on from it. But, even if that was his intent, this was a terrible way to do it.
There's also the cringe-worthy moment towards the end of the omnibus. Hermes has appeared in "Man's World" and is bribing the masses to worship him. Julia calls him on his bs, and Diana follows him out, more from obedience than agreement with his conduct. Eventually, Diana realizes Julia was right and apologizes. And then Julia says that her reaction, while justified, was an over-reaction because she's entered menopause and was coming off a hot flash.
There's also a problematic characterization of an African character, Chuma, who is Barbara Minerva's/Cheetah's assistant/servant. His speech pattern is a stereotype: using the "d" sound for "th" (e.g., "de Madam") and some weird, Yoda-like grammar. Also, he's an old black man serving a white woman who treats him badly. Yet he's apparently devoted to her. Minerva/Cheetah's's introduction lasts only a handful of issues, and she'll be back, so (hopefully) this master/servant dynamic will be explained in a way that makes it less icky (though I'm sure the dialogue won't improve).
Diana's characterization is very well-done. She is young, naïve, and idealistic, but not foolish. She understands that she needs guidance to function in "Man's World." Sometimes, she gets it wrong, but she's able to accept and learn from those situations. Her compassion and empathy are her greatest strengths. The stories in this volume include plenty of fights, but there is also great character development and exploration of themes such as the nature of faith, the pain of trauma and power of forgiveness, the importance of repentance, and the power of strong, loving relationships, of which only one is romantic.
Perez spends time with the supporting cast. I think the strongest work in that area is in the depiction of 14 yo Vanessa's world. She's clearly a kid who was never popular with the in-crowd, but, like most teenagers, really wants to fit in and be popular. Her relationship with Diana gives her fame that, of course, garners attention from the kids in the popular crowd. She's not a bad kid, but she's often self-absorbed and thoughtless regarding the feelings of her old friend who isn't included in the "cool" crowd.
Even characters that are more stereotypical, such as Myndi Mayer, get fleshed out. Myndi, who appears the soul of shallow commercialism, is revealed to be a more loving and compassionate character than portrayed in most of her appearances. To Perez' credit, the reveal doesn't re-write the character or strain credulity; it just reveals some depths that Diana would not have ordinarily seen.
Overall, Perez does a good job of respecting the women and Amazonian society. But there are a few moments in this volume that hit with a thud.
Spoiler
In the first issue, Perez sets out the history of the Amazons--the souls of women murdered by men are gathered and stored by some of the female Olympians (Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter, and Hestia) and one male god, Hermes. They are eventually reborn into the adult bodies of the Amazons (who are immortal in that they do not age or appear to sicken, but they can be physically harmed and killed). They are charged with spreading a message of peace and equality through 1200 BC Greece, but Ares stirs dissension against them so that, eventually, they are ostracized. Perez doesn't suggest that the Amazons did anything wrong. When Hercules and Theseus eventually befriend and then betray the Amazons, raping and enslaving them, Hippolyta, their queen, prays to her goddesses for assistance. Bizarrely, she's told that the Amazons are suffering for their sins, which appear to be that they were the victims of Ares' successful disinformation campaign. So, as best as I can tell, the Amazons' patronesses blame them for their own victimization.Then, eons later, when Hercules has repented of his crime, Hippolyta forgives him. That part is fine--there are people who, as part of their own healing, forgive those who harmed them. But then she expresses sexual interest in him, which is gross. I don't know why Perez went in this direction; most charitably, he was trying to show a Hippolyta who had fully healed from her trauma and moved on from it. But, even if that was his intent, this was a terrible way to do it.
There's also the cringe-worthy moment towards the end of the omnibus. Hermes has appeared in "Man's World" and is bribing the masses to worship him. Julia calls him on his bs, and Diana follows him out, more from obedience than agreement with his conduct. Eventually, Diana realizes Julia was right and apologizes. And then Julia says that her reaction, while justified, was an over-reaction because she's entered menopause and was coming off a hot flash.
There's also a problematic characterization of an African character, Chuma, who is Barbara Minerva's/Cheetah's assistant/servant. His speech pattern is a stereotype: using the "d" sound for "th" (e.g., "de Madam") and some weird, Yoda-like grammar. Also, he's an old black man serving a white woman who treats him badly. Yet he's apparently devoted to her. Minerva/Cheetah's's introduction lasts only a handful of issues, and she'll be back, so (hopefully) this master/servant dynamic will be explained in a way that makes it less icky (though I'm sure the dialogue won't improve).
ulrikworm's review
5.0
Mesterværk! George Perez fulgte op med Crisis on Infinite Earths med denne nyfortolkning af Wonder Woman - og det er fabelagtigt udført. Især første arc, i denne omnibus som dækker de første 25 issues + annual 1, er et mesterstykke i hvordan man skruer en brandgod origin-story sammen - både for Wonder Woman men også de olympiske guder, amazonerne og de mere menneskelige biroller. Den gradvise forvandling fra den målløse og antik græsk-talende Diana til det symbol på, og mission for, fred som Wonder Woman er mageløs fortalt. Smid oveni fantastisk art - jeg er især vild med Perez' skildring af Olympus' arkitektur.
De eneste småfejl jeg kunne påpege er at bogen strækker sig over omkring 3 events som foregår i andre tegneserier som ikke er med her. Så det efterlader nogle spørgsmål og klimakser uløst. Man kunne også være hård og sige at Perez har svært ved at leve helt op til åbningsfortælling efterfølgende men jeg synes stadig alle numre var af meget høj kvalitet. Det var især spændende hver gang en ny klassisk skurk såsom Cheetah og Circe skulle reintroduceres.
Kort sagt er dette en bog som alle med den mindste form for interesse i Wonder Woman burde læse.
De eneste småfejl jeg kunne påpege er at bogen strækker sig over omkring 3 events som foregår i andre tegneserier som ikke er med her. Så det efterlader nogle spørgsmål og klimakser uløst. Man kunne også være hård og sige at Perez har svært ved at leve helt op til åbningsfortælling efterfølgende men jeg synes stadig alle numre var af meget høj kvalitet. Det var især spændende hver gang en ny klassisk skurk såsom Cheetah og Circe skulle reintroduceres.
Kort sagt er dette en bog som alle med den mindste form for interesse i Wonder Woman burde læse.
onceandfuturelaura's review
3.0
Parts of this were glorious and fun. A lot of it was a slog. Some of it made me cringe. Feel more grounded in Wonder Woman lore now.
morrigan's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
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